Officials will drain Little Grassy Lake out of safety concern for local communities.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Ill. (WSIL) --Little Grassy Lake will soon be drained out of concern for nearby residents. This plan is coming down from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Officials say it's a precautionary move because of aging infrastructure.
Soon the Little Grassy Lake will be looking different. It will have a lot less water than it has now. Officials with the National Wildlife Refuge say it's to protect nearby communities.
Justin Sexton is the manager at the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge. He says the spillway on Little Grassy Lake was originally built in 1942, and it has reached its life expectancy. He says it could fail during an extreme weather event.
“So if that dam failed, you would see impacts to landowners, you could see the loss of life, you could see impacts to Crab Orchard Lake, which would then impact the greater Carbondale area,â€� Sexton said.Â
Sexton says they plan to lower 65 feet of the lake.
“There'll still be some water down there in the bottom, but it'll look completely different than it does today,� Sexton said.
Many people were out at the lake today to fit in their favorite activities before the changes. Some locals took their time to tell me fond memories of the lake.
Joe Powers says he loves looking at the nature around the lake.
“The woods and the forests around here have just an amazing diversity of wildlife and plant life. And I'm really interested in just finding out more about what those have to offer. I'm hoping that the draining of the lake doesn't really affect too much of that,� Powers said.
While some residents are unhappy with the mandated change, others like Powers understand why updates are important.
“One of the problems that we've got with our aging infrastructure is everything's starting to wear out. And we have to take the time to maintain it,� Powers said.
But Sexton says even with the changes the lake may not be completely closed to the public. He says people will not be able to use motorized boats on the water, but they might be able to use a kayak or canoe on the water.
“We're not looking to close unless we find unsafe conditions for recreation users,� Sexton said.
Sexton also says they still have water-based recreational activities in other parts of the refuge. But for now, Powers says he will enjoy Little Grassy Lake before it changes.
“It's really peaceful out here. Although we're not getting any sunlight today, I love the interplay of the light on the water,� Powers said.
The Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge says they are working with the state to modify fishing regulations at the little grassy lake. They will also be moving some of the fish to different areas in the refuge.
Sexton says they will start draining the lake by the end of the year. He says by 2026 the US Fish and Wildlife Services will be taking public comments about how the spillway could be rehabilitated.Â
